Jim Carter is briefing the Pats on the Gangler safe they retrieved from inside the Crane. Analysis shows it is an unknown substance and difficult to damage from the outside. But from the inside, it is extremely fragile and that is where the explosion comes from when they are destroyed.

Jim Carter suggests the safe may be the Gangler’s true form or their core. And that Ganglers may be able to turn energy into mass, hence their ability to embiggen.

Downtown, the Lups are finishing up grocery shopping when they encounter a Gangler. Manta Bayashi, attacking a wedding party. The Lups morph. But Manta uses his Collection power to switch Umika and a dove’s bodies.

Tooma is able to trick Manta into switching them back. Kairi and Umika try to hold Manta to allow Tooma to grab the Collection Piece, but Manta zaps them both. He then tries to switch Tooma with the dove, but the dove flies away and the zap bounces off a light reflector back to Manta himself.

Manta and Tooma have switched bodies.

Tooma knocks Manta out of the morph just as the Pats arrived. They hurry and shoot at the Gangler thinking it is attacking Tooma.

The Pats tell “Tooma” to run to safety before they surround “Manta.” Manta is about to switch back, but sees “Manta” getting shot and attacked by the Pats so he decides not now and runs.

Kairi and Umika protect Tooma and the Pats think they have suddenly begun working with a Gangler.

Manta hates his new body until he bumps into high school girls who think he’s cute and want to take selfies with him. Kairi and Umika, meanwhile, cover Tooma with a tarp and get him back to the bistro.

The Pats come in behind them and Umika shoves Tooma into a corner, keeping him under the tarp. The Pats ask if Tooma’s come back yet and they tell them what happened.

The Lups try to stay cool and say Tooma is upstairs, sick. But Tsukasa approaches Tooma under the tarp only to try and catch a mosquito. She then sits on the tarp. Kairi and Umika scream, run over and get Tsukasa up off of Tooma before she can pull off the tarp.

After Kairi and Umika kick and sit on Tooma, they see the Pats out of the bistro and lock the door behind them. They realize only Manta has the power to switch them back so Kairi goes out to look for him.

Meanwhile, the Pats are shocked to see “Tooma” having fun with four women when he was supposed to be sick in bed.

Kairi confronts Manta, but Manta is able to push him around and fly away.

Umika is able to retrieve the Collection Piece from the safe, but Kairi comes home with no Gangler. He asks to speak with Tooma privately.

Kairi tells Tooma about Manta not wanting to switch back. Tooma tells Kairi not to hold back against Manta, even if it is his body. Kairi brings up Aya, but Tooma says there’s no use in him surviving if they won’t be able to revive her anyway. So collecting the Collection Pieces is what they must prioritize.

Tooma reminds Kairi of their promise to each other to continue their mission even if one of them falls.

Kairi understands.

Next day, the Lups meet Manta. But Kairi proposes a duel between just them. If Manta wins, then he gets his Collection Piece back. Manta agrees. Both he and Kairi morph and they battle.

Kairi has Manta pinned down, but hesitates to shoot into Tooma’s body. That gives Manta a chance to gain the upper hand for a bit before Kairi regains his resolve and attacks back.

Kairi is able to shoot Manta out of his morph and points his blaster right at “Tooma’s” heart. Just before Kairi shoots, Manta switches himself and Tooma back to their original bodies.

Tooma collapses to the ground after the shot right to the heart. But actually, Kairi had put his hand in between to absorb some of the blow and also aim away from Tooma’s vital organs. Kairi knew Manta would want to switch bodies before having to feel pain.

The Lups morph and Good Striker appears. Kairi multiplies himself and tosses Tooma and Umika the Scissors and Cyclone VS vehicles. With their extra firepower, the Lups finish off Manta’s first life.

Goche embiggens Manta. The Lups hop into LupinKaiser before going LupinKaiser Cyclone Knight. With a Good Striker Shoot Out Flash, the Lups finish off Manta for good.

At the bistro, the Pats confront Tooma about his irresponsible behavior in lying about being sick just to “play with girls.” Kairi and Umika just giggle as the Pats judge Tooma for being a big playboy.

Episode Thoughts

Definitely a typical “breather”-type episode after big dramatic episodes like the last two.

I don’t know if they were trying to make this very dramatic and emotional like what they did last week. But it didn’t work that way. All the blood and shooting the hole through the hand and into Tooma is pretty crazy. But the episode was really just a typical body switch episode. I can see where there was opportunity to make the dilemma of having to possibly kill Tooma in the process of destroying the Gangler. And then calling back to their promise to each other which I think is one of the stronger points of their characters.

But it was really just a typical Sentai plot. At least, it was certainly better and less creepy than the gender bending episode of the Pats a few weeks ago.

The story was still good though in that they were able to set up Manta being afraid of feeling the pain. That of course allowed for Kairi’s gamble to work at the end. Very clever. Also some nice quick hands from Kairi as he was shooting up Manta too.

Overall it was a solid episode with some good moments. And an amusing final scene as well.